Improvement in ball-and-socket joints



M( w. st. soHN.

Ball `and Socket oints.

Patented August 26, i873` UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOEc MILTON W. sT. JOHN, OE LEoNARDsviLLE, NEW YORK.

b IMPROVEMENT IN BALL-ANDSOCKET JOINTS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,293, dated August 26, 1873; application filed f August 2, 1873.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, MILTON W. ST. JOHN, of Leonardsville, in the county of Madison and State of New York, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Balland Socket Joint; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciiication, and to the lettersV and fl gures of reference marked thereon. Figure 1 of the drawings is arepresentation of a side view of my joint. Fig. 2 is a sec tional View of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are details of the same. This invention has relation to certain improvements upon my ball-and-socket joint for which Letters Patent No. 79,408 of the United States--dated June 30, 1868, antedated June 18, ISGS-were granted to me and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the enlarged lateral opening in the socket, the cover-Ilan ge of the concave bearing-plate, and the recessed cap for the reception of the rubber or spring, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the ball formed on the end of the strap or bar B, the neck a of which is curved and passes laterally through an opening in the socket. B represents the socket or cup formed upon the end ofthe plate G. This socket is laterally provided With a large opening, b, for the insertion of the ball A, said opening having at one side a contraction, c, of the proper diameter for the neck a. D indicates the concave bearingplate against which the spring d acts. This plate is designed to be inserted into the socket through the opening b after the ball, and is provided with an exterior shield-ilange, c, designed to cover said opening externally, and usually provided With a curved notch, f, for the neck a of the ball. The socket B is internally threaded at its upper portion to engage with the extermeet the lip of the socket when the two parts are screwed closely together. The cap is recessed in the flanged or inserted portion fori the reception of the rubber orwspringl". By means of this recess 7c the spring is connected With the cap sufciently to avoid loss in manipulating the parts of said spring, and to properly center the same for action on the concave bearing plate. The socket B', although Open at the side, is sufficiently strengthened at its open end by having a continuous lip, l, to admit ofthe insertion Within it Ot' the flange of the cap instead of locating said flange on the outside of the lip. The shieldflange e serves to lessen the opening b and to keep the socket properly closed Without interfering with the movement of the concave plate. It also serves to keep the concave plate in proper position to prevent it from escaping from the socket through the opening b.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl. In a ball-and-socket joint, the combination, with the spring, of the cap and its holding recess for connection with said spring, substantially as specified.

2. In combination with the socket B', open laterally and having the continuous lip l, the ball A, flanged concave D, and cap E, carrying the spring, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in aball-and-socket joint With the spring and concave bearing, of the socket and cap having a close joint between the lip and shoulder, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON W. ST. JOHN.

Witnesses:

Jos. B. LooMrs, GEORGE E. UPHAM. 

